If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Northern Maine Caches

Last weekend MsTeeLee and I went on a Northern Maine caching expedition - 714 miles round trip! We got a fair number of caches and thought I'd say a few things in case anyone else was considering going.

Most of the hills are not that high, but are quite steep! The three climbs we did were:BigRock (GC6C54) by Team-Pine(2.5/3) - is a killer climb the way we went, way far up and steep!A.S.P. (GCG4CM) by team-pine(1/3.5) - we liked this the best, great view despite a rainy day.Haystack (GC4495) by Msansanbi(2/3) - a short but very steep, lots of loose sharp rocks - but fun just the same.

We had a good time with all the caches we did, they are like caches everywhere - some good, some great. These are not visited often. Many we did had not been visited for nearly a year. Some had been logged in the log book but not online. The area is a lot different than down here, it's too bad more people don't get a chance to visit these caches.

Hi! I see your posts at geocaches.com. I am from the valley up here in Maine and next time you are up, if you come up again let me know if you want to do some caches. I am going to have to agree with you on Big Rock, Haystack and ASP. But they are all fun!
Have a good one.

A very difficult series of three caches would to do Norway Bluff Cache, Round Mtn Cache and Horse Mtn Cache in the same day. They are very close together and would be a quick check to see how tough you are as a cacher. All are nice wilderness caches. Round Mtn has a camp and nice trail but the others are more difficult, but well worth the effort.

We hate mindless caches placed in the woods without a reason, nothing but the cache in a plastic bag on a tree.

A very difficult series of three caches would to do Norway Bluff Cache, Round Mtn Cache and Horse Mtn Cache in the same day. They are very close together and would be a quick check to see how tough you are as a cacher. All are nice wilderness caches. Round Mtn has a camp and nice trail but the others are more difficult, but well worth the effort.

I did Norway Bluff and Round in the same day, but still had to place a cache at Machias river (plus Horse Mt. looked really tough) so I decided to pass on that one. I thought Round mountain (on a hot buggy day) was a really tough cache. Norway bluff was a good stiff hike, but great views. I'd do that one again.

Not having done it, I can't say, but I would guess it's closer to a 1.5/4.5.
As far as terrain, it sounds tough, but it does not require special equipment. A 5 does not need to require special eqipment, it could be just "extremely difficult". But, if Horse Mtn. is a 5, how do you rate a scuba cache 250 feet under the ocean?
The hide seems quite typical, but not right out in plain sight.

Ratings are one of my pet peeves. With the Horse Mtn. cache, there's a good chance no real rating guide existed when the cache was placed, and they knew the terrain was tough, upped that to 5, then upped the diffficulty to add some more. So, I understand that, but if someone rated a new one today that way I might be inclined to try and help them understand.

I'm glad with one of your caches you rated the terrain low enough that I knew I should not be trying anything too stupid to access it. Of cousre, that didn't keep me from getting a DNF on it anyway!

We have done a couple of other five one in IN on a river cliff about halfway down and the other in WV and I think you will find it a challenge from the road going to the cache. The cache is near the top of a shale cliff. Three side are 60 degrees or better and the fourth is very think spruce windblown stunted forest. As for the five difficulty it is perhaps questionable it is hard to find either way.

We hate mindless caches placed in the woods without a reason, nothing but the cache in a plastic bag on a tree.

We have done a couple of other five one in IN on a river cliff about halfway down and the other in WV and I think you will find it a challenge from the road going to the cache. The cache is near the top of a shale cliff. Three side are 60 degrees or better and the fourth is very think spruce windblown stunted forest. I was very happy with lots of branches and small trees to hold on to going up and looking for the cache. As for the five difficulty it is perhaps questionable it is hard to find either way.

We hate mindless caches placed in the woods without a reason, nothing but the cache in a plastic bag on a tree.

Yikes!!

Originally Posted by Northwoods Explorer

Round Mtn has a camp and nice trail but the others are more difficult, but well worth the effort.

shortened...

More difficult than Round Mtn. We met Msansanbi, the cache owner he said he was 1/16 indian. I think he is also 15/16 mountain goat. Round Mtn was straight uphill. It took me ( slowing down the Rescue Rangers ) 45 minutes to summit.

Why not live life like it is your last day....instead of pretending to be a member of the Peter Pan Club and believing you will be around forever.

Not sure waht Round Mountain is but it would be either a 3.5 or 4 when compared to Horse Mountain. I think we will have another one in the area for this fall. It is much more difficult than Round Mountain. Round Mountain has a trail even if it is in poor shape.

We hate mindless caches placed in the woods without a reason, nothing but the cache in a plastic bag on a tree.